NAD Master Series M55 Universal Disc Player

The MP3 music format has started to make CDs sound good by comparison, but let's face it -- really good, engaging digital sound is hard to find. The music you want and own is on CD. But SACD and DVD-Audio, new generation high-resolution disc formats are audibly more satisfying to hear. And then there's your DVD video collection. You only have space for one sound system and it has to double for movies and TV, right? So buy whatever format you want -- all your music and movies can be played on one machine if you get a Universal Disc Player.
Trouble is, Sony's decks won't play DVD-Audio, and many others won't play Sony's SACD. And the players that play everything and still get CD sound right can fetch well north of $5,000! This NAD Master Series M55 universal player is the answer. At $1799 retail, it's worth its price just on the quality of standard Redbook CD format alone. Which is unusual. But its video performance is competitive with $2,000 DVD players, and SACD/DVD-Audio sound are top echelon among universal decks.
The Master Series is new for NAD and a serious cosmetic and engineering upgrade from their long-standing bang-for-buck budget agenda. It won't look like you cheaped out when you sprang for your disc player and the sound will say you went for the best. Unfailingly smooth, musical, revealing, communicative of expression and emotion, the NAD M55 will even have you pulling out those 80s discs you still love, from the early days of inept digital (mis)-mastering.
Looking elsewhere in my picks, it doesn't take long to figure out that a pair of Zu Druid speakers with this NAD M55 universal player running through a few hundred dollars' worth of clean integrated amp makes an unbeatable, compact, stylish, satisfying $5,000 music and movie-sound stereo system.

This is easily the most awesome home audio system in the history of the world. I love the way it looks. (Maybe it's the sociopath inside of me but I see missiles when I look at it.) You can hook it up to the tv set to play DVDs t...This is easily the most awesome home audio system in the history of the world. I love the way it looks. (Maybe it's the sociopath inside of me but I see missiles when I look at it.) You can hook it up to the tv set to play DVDs too.

I love the red wood grain look on the speakers. That's enough to make me want this home theater system. You can play DVDs, and CDs of course. You can also connect your iPod to it for playback. Very necessary indeed.

Sure, technically, this is a DVD home theater system. On the other hand, most people these days use DVD players as their audio shelf system too. I know I do. (Actually, I use my PS2 but not everyone is into video games!) This is a...Sure, technically, this is a DVD home theater system. On the other hand, most people these days use DVD players as their audio shelf system too. I know I do. (Actually, I use my PS2 but not everyone is into video games!) This is an interesting looking contraption to have in your living room undoubtedly.

Are those machine gun turrets on the side of this intimidating boombox? This really looks like something out of Transformers. It's pretty versatile having a 5-disc CD changer and also functioning as a DVD player.

I am totally in love with it. Manages everything that we have in our house, and we do have a lot! (we are a bit geeky at home so there is tv, audio, home made tivo through a computer, DVD, etc etc).
Have it for a couple of mont...I am totally in love with it. Manages everything that we have in our house, and we do have a lot! (we are a bit geeky at home so there is tv, audio, home made tivo through a computer, DVD, etc etc).
Have it for a couple of months and so far flawless. Easy to setup, easy to use, the backlit makes it everything easier. Even easy to troubleshoot if you have a problem!